HONOR MagicBook Pro

Practical, fast, with a great screen

Choosing a laptop for work is not easy. Gaming — it is inconvenient to carry, ultrabooks and transformers-performance is questionable, a macbook is expensive. Against this background, the new HONOR looks like an interesting compromise. MagicBook Pro, despite the thin body and the lack of a discrete graphics card, received a full-fledged gaming processor and a screen with full sRGB coverage. We are checking the laptop's capabilities in the case.

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Practical form factor

HONOR MagicBook Pro (2020) surprises with the diagonal of the display: the 16.1-inch screen is embedded in the case with the dimensions of a typical "tag". This was achieved due to the minimal framework around the matrix. The laptop as a whole turned out to be compact: it weighs only 1.7 kg, and the thickness of the metal case is 16.9 mm.

The opening angle of the display cover is 160 degrees. This is enough to, for example, work reclining. You can't open the screen with one hand: the hinges are tight, so when you change the screen tilt, you have to hold the case with your other hand.

Correct display

HONOR engineers did not skimp on the key element of the laptop-the display. MagicBook Pro received the Innolux N161HCA-EA3 matrix with almost one hundred percent coverage of the sRGB color space. The matte screen with a Full HD resolution pleases with excellent color reproduction, high contrast and, surprisingly for IPS technology, a convincing display of a black shade.

The brightness of the display is adjustable in a wide range: from excessive light, useful when working outdoors, to very dim, allowing you to read comfortably in complete darkness. With prolonged use of the device, the eyes do not get tired — even at low brightness, it was not possible to notice the flickering of the image.

All inclusive
When it comes to equipment with a compromise price tag, you usually ask yourself: what did the vendor save on? However, with MagicBook Pro, the situation is different: as you get acquainted with the device, you discover various pleasant little things. For example, the laptop has a built-in NFC module that allows you to instantly connect to HONOR and HUAWEI smartphones. This activates the Magic-link 2.0 joint mode-with a shared clipboard, a smartphone screen broadcast to a laptop, and a lot of other chips.

You quickly get used to the fingerprint scanner built into the power button, which functions smartly and without misfires. It is convenient for them to unlock the system without entering a password. An interesting solution is the webcam hidden in the button — it slides out and hides when pressed.

Laptop stereo speakers are not distinguished by outstanding sound. But for gaming, YouTube and Skype, they are enough: the sound is comfortable, with well-distinguishable medium and high frequencies. Note the good location of the speakers: to the right and left of the keyboard unit. The audio is directed directly to the listener, and not to the table, as is the case in other devices.

As for the keyboard, there was no space for a digital block on the top panel of the HONOR MagicBook Pro. The stroke of the keys is short — a tactile solution for an amateur. Much better than in budget models, but it does not reach the level of flagships. The brightness of the backlight is low, but there is no annoying stroboscopic flickering, which many laptops sin. In addition, the keys are not constantly illuminated — after 15 seconds of idle time, the LEDs turn off and light up again when you touch any button.

If the keyboard leaves mixed impressions, then there are no questions about the touchpad. In addition to its large size, it is characterized by good sensitivity and clarity of operation. There are two mechanical buttons hidden under the touch pad, but you don't have to press them. The touchpad perfectly accepts multi-finger gestures. It is convenient to scroll and simulate clicks. It is more pleasant and easier to make a tap with one or two fingers than to press the buttons under the panel.

Gaming, but not for gaming

The new product was installed Ryzen 5 4600H, manufactured according to a 7-nanometer process technology. The chip has an impressive heat package — 45 watts, not 15, as on the "stripped-down" U-versions. A similar processor is used in gaming laptops, where it is usually paired with a powerful discrete graphics card.

When compared to the previous generation, the Ryzen 5 4600H provides a two-fold increase in performance in most tasks. This is clearly visible both in office work and manipulation of multimedia content. In terms of performance, the HONOR MagicBook Pro can be put on a par with some gaming laptops — if, of course, you take out the games and specific operations that are calculated by the forces of the video card. And in everyday scenarios, the performance is about the same. There is no magic in this: the power of the Ryzen 5 4600H lies in the high frequencies. Base — 3.1 GHz, maximum-4 GHz. The chip received 6 cores and 12 threads — this is enough with a margin. For example, if you open a browser with many tabs, you can instantly switch to Photoshop.

The manufacturer took care of protection from trottling: the ultrabook received an enhanced cooling system-with a pair of fans and two heat pipes. In idle mode and when typing, the coolers function quietly. Under load, you can hear moderate noise, but it is not very annoying. In the AIDA64 stress test, the laptop showed stable performance: for 40 minutes, the processor frequencies were kept at 3974 MHz, the temperature was at 81 degrees. In the PCMark 10 benchmark, the device scored 5015 points, in the Cinebench R 20 — 3154, and in the Geekbench 5 — 6101.